A Filipino-American man in California is facing severe charges after allegedly kidnapping a 10-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox.
Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested on April 13 and is currently held on $1.35 million bail at the Kern County Jail. He faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and attempting to exhibit harmful material to a minor.
Court documents obtained by KGET revealed that Naval initially contacted the young girl through Roblox before arranging to meet her in Taft, Southern California. The girl, believing they were going to a nearby park, soon found herself on a 250-mile journey to Elk Grove, Northern California.
Authorities said the girl’s family reported her missing and used a tracking app to locate her phone, which connected to a hotspot labeled “Matthew’s iPhone.” Elk Grove police later found Naval with the child in a strip mall parking lot, where she was seated in the front passenger seat of his vehicle.
Naval, who is on the autism spectrum, claimed during a jailhouse interview that he believed the girl was 18 and denied any sexual contact. However, court records indicated he admitted to kissing the girl and considering further actions had she been willing.
The situation has sparked concerns among Filipino-American communities and law enforcement, highlighting the dangers of unsupervised communication on online gaming platforms.
Naval is scheduled to appear in court again in June for a preliminary hearing.
